PLEASE NOTE REVISED MEET POINT!!!
Current route below (subject to change and timings are approximate!):
'Officially' (I will of course be available to meet the early birds who wish to Spoon-it-up with beer and breakfast at 10:30am!) meet at:
1.
The Three Guineas - I will arrive midday, all to depart earlier than 1pm if possible
*Number 23 bus to Caversham
2.
Fox and Hounds – arrive 1.15pm
Catch 22/24 back to town
3.
The Nags Head– arrive 2.30pm. Pies available here for the hungry, take just under 10 mins to come out so order early. Largest ale selection so longest drinking time!
*Then catch 17 to East Reading
4a/b.
The Retreat/
The Lyndhurst – we’ll arrive here 3.45pm. As the two pubs are less than a minute apart and both quite small, in order to avoid bar cloggage and maximise drinking time, I suggest the group splits 50/50 and swaps between the two
*13 minute walk to
5.
Hop Leaf – arrive 4.40pm
*8 minute downhill walk to
6.
Zerodegrees – arrive 5.15pm. Depending on time, we may decide to split the group so the early departures get a fair crack at the Alehouse.
*Short walk to
7.
The Alehouse (nee Hobgoblin) - arrive 6.00
That completes the circuit, based on SheffieldHatter being the earliest departure at 18.40
Given that there’s quite a large overlap in departure times, I think it’d be better to end at the Alehouse rather than start there, as Reading BR is only a few minutes walk. It also gives others a chance to try other pubs in RG1 from a central base if they wish.
For those going late, there’s the possibility of getting a pint and pie at
Sweeney and Todd (just over the way from Zerodegrees) or heading back to the Nags (as Strongers will be doing his one-man tour of the Wild West (Reading)). From the Nags it’s around 10 mins to the station so long as you don’t get lost!
I’ve dropped some previous wildcards as my research has shown that there is not the quality to justify the time if we are to make it round sensibly (my crawling pace may be somewhat swifter than others!). The Jolly Anglers and Abbot Cook are too off-piste and not (IMO) good enough to divert out for. The Eldon will likely be closed as Trainman pointed out, which is a shame.